Behind The Screen

By Sayali Kondkar

It was really a tiring day. I leave for my home from a part time job, which was a flower shop. It was not that irritating actually. All the time you are surrounded by colorful flowers and angelic aroma. Its quite refreshing to work there. As an artist the environment works indeed good for me. Being alone in the foreign country, far away from home sometimes gives a hard time. But its worth to being here, chasing my dreams.

Its become a routine to wake up, go for study, then part time job and after that, drawing. I am a history student and an illustrator too. So I like to draw history. Historian characters, especially worriers, Samurai. I am telling this because recently I am working on a character. A worrier in his 20s, strong, elegant and of course handsome. This is the reason I want to go home fast, so that I can complete the drawing.

I reach home. I was hungry so had my dinner on may way home, got fresh and now I don’t have a single drop of energy in my body. Luckily tomorrow is off day so I can continue my drawing tomorrow. Without any though I showed myself in blankets and drifts to my universes.

The morning feels so refreshing. It always happens on off days. The morning feels dreamy and the night comes with bitter reality.

I freshened up myself and starts doing my work. I am gonna complete it today! He is already looking so handsome!

It took me 3-4 hours to compete it and the results are just…. Wow!

“Why do I always get attracted by the 2d characters!” I stared at him for quite a long time and fell asleep.

After some time I feel someones gaze on me. I opened my eyes and look up at the screen. Somethings weird.

“Is he staring at me!! no way!!” and then hi winked. It startled me.

“What was that?”

I was looking at the screen deeply and then it blacks out. In a split seconds the screen started to shimmer. The light starts becoming brighter and brighter. I jumped from the seat as it was freaking me out. The light was blurring my vision and the silhouette appeared slowly. I rubbed my eyes and looked up. I can’t believe on my eyes. He was looking just like that character I was drawing a minute ago!! Same face, same eyes, same clothes…. holy!…how is that happened?? I shifted my eyes on the computer screen and it was blank… completely blank like an untouched white canvas! I looked at him who was already staring me.

I pointed to the screen, “you.. you were there right?”

He was smiling innocently. And now I started to panic.

“Are you a ghost?”

He chuckled, “No I am not.” his voice was enough to give me goosebumps. I puled myself together and ask, “then w..what are you? How do you get here? Its impossible”

He starts to move towards me and I put my guards up. The situation was creeping hell out of me. “stop- stop right there!!”

He stops in his place, “don’t be scared. I am Jin.”

“like, jinny jin??”

He laughs a little. “No. My name is Jin.”

“o- oh…I I am…what was my name??….oh-o I am Li- Lily..” why am I stuttering?

“what I am saying is that how is this possible? How do you got out of my artwork and stood here, in front of me!.. alive!!”

I looked at my hands..” wohhh… don’t tell me I am a wizard??”

I started to go towards my computer “does that mean if I draw anything here its gonna come alive??!…wow cool!!” I turned to him

“No. Only me… and you are not a wizard.”

“what? Why only you tough?”

“It’s just …..just only me ..I guess.” he smiles.

I was totally confused.. “so..you are alive!?”

“I think I am…thanks to you!”

“thanks to me??”

“do you have anything to eat? I am starving.”

“oh…yeah...”

What on earth is happening here. Is he really come out from my computer or am I dreaming??

I was staring at him while he was eating.

“ask it!”

“seriously.. where do you come from??”

“from that thing!” he stated pointing to the computer. still eating.

“okay it’s blowing my mind now.. how can anyone pop out of that thing just like that. Its not a magic tool. Then how????”

“I don’t know either. I was peacefully sleeping in my bed and then I dragged here..”

“let’s give it a break for sometime I don’t want to burn my brain cells.”

“did you draw these paintings?” he asked looking around

“oh… yes.”

“wow!!”

“thanks..”

“what is that thing by the way” pointing towards computer.

“it’s computer..!?”

“what does that mean??”

“let me ask you..do you come from the past?”

“no”

“but your cloths??”

“you drew it!”

“right! …unbelievable..!”

“okay.. we have to change your cloths first”

“why? You don’t like it?”

“no… it’s not like that….if you walk around like that.. people will think you are…how do I say…. weird”

“okay!”

“wait here..”

I brought some oversized clothes of mine for him. He takes it brightly and rush to change it… after some time he comes out of room.

“don’t you think it’s too big in size for you princess?”

“it’s comfortable…wait….princess??”

“aah….you are… I mean you look like a.. princess!” he said shyly.

“oh..OH!” I feel my chicks turning red so I changed the topic.

“let’s go for shopping..” I turned to check the clock and it was almost 10:30pm .. wow! Time runs so fast..

“tomorrow …we will go tomorrow.. its bed time..I have work tomorrow..”

“okay”

It’s been a week since he came. We became surprisingly comfortable with each other. He is always curious about things especially technology and I became 3000% sure that he came from the past.

This morning has something special… what to say..

“good morning!!” he says brightly..

“ohh.. morning..” why am I being shy in front of him..

“i am coming with you!”

“it’s my off day Jin!...”

“then let’s go somewhere!!… you didn’t tour me your world..”

“my world!!?..” it made me chuckle..”okay ..! lets go..”

I showed him about half the city and lastly I brought him to a park. It’s spring so the whole park was blooming with the blossom trees. Pinkish white petals were floating with the breeze. We sat on the bench near the pond. The beauty was mesmerizing and he was besides me. Then he starts talking, “its more beautiful… with you!”

I felt my chicks starts to heat up “what you..-”

“I like you.!”

I just sat there not knowing what to say .. then sudden courage built up in me that made me say “me too!”

The situation was too much for both of us to say anything more. We just sat there admiring the beauty in front of us. Stealing glances from each others. The day went like this. We both freshen up ourselves and drifted into sleep.

I felt sun rays surfing on my face. I could hear birds chirping in the distance. I opened my eyes slowly. Curtains..?!. why are there curtains??

“when did I put up the curtains??”

I got up rubbing my eyes and look around. Something’s strange!! the bed is strange. I never had this type of bed. Royal bed??!! why the wall is coloured in different hue?

“someone kidnapped me!!?”

Then my gaze fell on someone who was sleeping peacefully besides me..

“what the…!!….Jin.. Jin wake up!! someone kidnapped us… Jin” sudden panic built inside me.

“what!!…what you” he got up looking at the curtains, half asleep…

“when did you put up the curtains??”

“no. I didn’t ..”

Looking around “it’s my room…”

Then he jolt up from the bed “wait.. its my room!!?.. what are we doing here??”

“your room??…h-how? ..we were in my house!!!”

“don’t panic…we-”

“but I think I have seen this room before….!”

“how did we get here??!” pacing in confusion.

“I know this room… this bed.. the table….the wall’s colour…how is it even possible??…” now I am getting scared.

“look at me…calm down okay..”

“Jin, I drew this room…!!” I was more shocked than him.

“what?..”

“yeah..I drew this.. it was in the same folder as your file… named 8th March… how is this even-……wait! what is the date today???”

“I think its… 8th of April..!..but-”

“oh no…why are we here on the same date as this room’s file date??… and …your file date was 15th of March…exact one week later…. Jin! What will happen after-”

“calm down …. calm down princess… nothing will happen.. “

“it’s a dream right… we are in dream..”

“in the same dream!…both of us?!”

“that’s what I am saying-”

We both jumped by the knock on the door. It was the first time in a while that someone knocked the door, except us.

“hide..fast!!” still looking at the door.

“sorry!… what do you-”

We heard another knock on the door “Prince..!!”

“prince??” I looked at him confused.

“Lily,.. hide.. I’ll tell you everything letter… fast..”

“ohh.. gosh….!”

I hide under the bed. After a minute he closed the door. I came out of the bed “prince!!.. prince??.. seriously Jin??”

“calm down”

“you are a prince?.. since when?? and who are those people outside.. is it a castle??”

“Lily.. we have to leave tonight”

“leave tonight…where?.. in my time! Impossible…we don’t even know how we got here!!”

“shhh… don’t stress too much princes.. calm down.. we will leave the castle tonight…somewhere near.. you will be safe there… it will be chaos if they find you here…don’t worry… I’ll be with you there.”

“but what if someone comes here?”

“no one will come. I told them I am bit tired.. need some rest” he comforts me a little.

Then there’s another knock.

“Ahh these people”

“hide…” he said while giggling at my situation.

“yeah …yeah.. your highness…!”

The entire day went just like that. Me hiding under the bed. I started to get cramps in my back.

“how many times I have to go under there” lazily pointing to the bed.

“I hate playing hide and sick game now!”

Finally the night comes. We started our plan of escape. He peek out of window. When it got clear we jumped out of the window silently leaving the palace.

“wow the palace..!!”

He just chuckled walking through dark alley, taking extraordinary shortcuts. Wow this man! is he really a prince??.

After some struggles we came in front of the someone’s door. He knocked on the door. It sounded like a signal, password or something like that. The door opened and he drag me inside and closed the door.

“Jin …you…where have you been??” then she look at me “who..?”

“I’ll tell you later. Is your dad home?”

“no.. he is out of town..!.. what happened?”

“when will he come?”

“don’t know… maybe, 2-3 weeks later..”

“okay … I need your help Yoona..”

She looked at us

“what?… hide both of you??”

“only her….for some days….”

“I bet she is not your Just friend …right?!” she said looking at me.

I was just standing there the whole time like a stone not having a single clue of the situation.

“yeah..” he replied shyly. Then she turned to me.

“hi… my name is…Lily..” I greet her with a little smile.

“hello.. I am Yoona. His childhood friend.” she gave me a warm smile.

“and you..” she turned to Jin “where were you yesterday?? the whole palace was looking after you..”

“what!!? I wasn’t here for just a day?”

“yeah..!…? you better explain me everything later..”

“I will..!”

Wow! This girl is so pretty and too kind. She treated mi like her little sister. It’s been five days I am living with her. Its already feels like home. Jin comes only at the dawn and goes in the evening.

The next morning I started to feel anxious. Tomorrow is the day. 15th of April. I don’t know what will happen. The thought is alone eating me up. I was too lost in my thoughts that I didn’t realized when he sat next to me.

“what are you thinking princess?”

“oh my…..you scared me!!” he giggled

“sorry…. I didn’t mean to..”

I didn’t see Yoona from the morning.. I wonder where is she.

“did you see Yoona?”

“oh..she has gone to the neighbouring village.”

“ohh..”

“let’s go!”

“where??”

“you toured me your world…. now I’ll show you my world”

“o-ok”

It was my first time riding a horse.. wow its so dramatic…. we walked through large fields. The evening sky started to look heavenly. Cold breezes were tickling us. Slowly it started to getting dark.

“we have to go back home Jin!”

“no… there is something you have to see”

“what?”

“let’ go”

He brought me near a lake. In the stary night, this place seemed like heaven.

“wow !!”

I looked at him but he was continuously looking at the forest beyond the lake.

“look at that” he said pointing towards the forest.

One by one small dots of light started to beam in that forest… fireflies!!.. but it were not ordinary. It were colourful and looked like stars..

“woh… these fireflies….but why are they colourful!!!..its so cool!!”

“like it??”

“love it!!!” I became exited. I have never seen this type of scenery in my whole life.

We sat there for a long time admiring the beauty of the place. After a while we left and came to hill and stopped. The view of the entire town from the hilltop was enticing in the cool night breeze. The town was shrouded in mist. The ridges of the mountains looked pink and the sun was slowly rising in the sky. Those golden rays were painting the entire field in golden colour.

“it is so beautiful”

He chuckled “there is one more thing I want to show you.”

He turned the horse. We were now heading towards the forest. After a long ride we stopped. He tied the horse to a nearby tree and started leading me deep into the forest. The sound of water was coming softly. We went a little further…. a waterfall!!… it was so attractive that the sprays of water flying from it looking like a fairy dust. A lot of wildflowers of different colors were bloomed around around the waterfall. It all seemed like a fairy tale.

“i knew you will like it.” he said smiling.

“it is…so…dreamy..so beautiful!!!”

He was staring at me.. “princes.. I ..”

Then suddenly he hugged me and turn me around. I felt his body getting heavier. I touch his back. No….!

“Ji-Jin ….arrow!!,,?”

“look at me…..don’t stay here…run!!”

“what!! no!!… I am not going anywhere!”

“please …princess..plea-”

“no Jin…you got shot….I am not gonna leave you like that…we have to go to Yoona..”

“we don’t have that much time…please…go!..”

“I said no….!”

“they are after you..not me….please run..!”

Someone struck him from behind with a sword and he fell down.

“no.. no.. Jin…ahsss”

I was stabbed in the back. The pain was unbearable. I started to feeling dizzy. There was blood everywhere and seeing him lying lifeless in front of me was hurting like hell. Slowly darkness entangled me completely.

My eyelids felt heavy. The whole body was paining terribly. It was difficult to breathe. I shot opened my eyes at the thought of him. And there he was.. looking at me…but from the computer screen??

“no… I came back?.. did he also come with me!!”

I searched the whole house calling him but there was no single trace of him….

“no.. I left him behind,.. alone!!”

My phone starts to buzz. It was my classmate. I picked up.

“hey Lily.. let’s hang out..we planned-”

“ah… Emi ..not today.. I am-”

“don’t you dare spoil the plan.. it’s your day off and you promised me yesterday.”

“y- yesterday?… I??”

“yes you..!.. now cut the drama and get ready” she hung the call.

I was totally confused….I didn’t understand what was going on.

“no……it was..”

I looked at the screen. He was just like I drew him. Does that mean?…

“it was all dream!!??”

By Sayali Kondkar